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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25008163">Last Chance Connection</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/whoneedsapublisher/pseuds/whoneedsapublisher'>whoneedsapublisher</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Love Live! School Idol Project</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Older Maki and Nico and Honoka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:20:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>858</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25008163</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/whoneedsapublisher/pseuds/whoneedsapublisher</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico and Maki's relationship has been a series of breakups and arguments. Eventually, something has to give.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kousaka Honoka/Nishikino Maki, Nishikino Maki/Yazawa Nico (past)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Last Chance Connection</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="western">“<em>Fucking</em> Nico.”</p><p class="western">Honoka rolled over onto her back, her head hanging off the edge of the bed as she looked up at Maki storming in the door of their apartment.</p><p class="western">“Hiii Maki,” she said. “Girlfriend troubles?”</p><p class="western">Maki glared down at her, glancing at the magazine she was reading and then back at her face.</p><p class="western">“<em>Ex-</em>girlfriend,” she said frostily.</p><p class="western">“Again?” Honoka asked, frowning. “Isn’t this like, the tenth time you guys have broken up?”</p><p class="western">“Well, it’s also going to be the <em>last</em> time we break up, because I am <em>not</em> taking her back again.”</p><p class="western">“Uh huh,” Honoka said, remembering how many times Maki had also said <em>that</em>. “You know, you’re just as cute upside down as right side up. Is that weird? It seems like you’d look weird upside down, but you don’t.”</p><p class="western">“Thank you, Honoka,” Maki said. “If only Nico was that nice…”</p><p class="western">“What did she do this time?” Honoka asked patiently.</p><p class="western">“What <em>didn’t</em> she do?” Maki grumbled, hanging up her jacket. “First, she…”</p>
<hr/><p class="western">A week later, they were still broken up.</p><p class="western">That wasn’t a new record, but it was on the long side for one of these breakups. Even more unusually, Nico hadn’t called Maki, and Maki hadn’t called her. Usually, within days of the breakup, they were having loud phone arguments, yelling at each other before dramatically hanging up. But this time, Maki hadn’t even mentioned her since her lengthy diatribes on the first day. According to Nozomi, Nico hadn’t been talking about Maki much either, devoting herself to work with an unusual level of dedication even for Nico.</p><p class="western">After two weeks, breaking the previous ten day record, Honoka allowed herself to hope.</p><p class="western">Maki and Nico had been dating on and off for years, and the only reason they didn’t live together was Maki’s medical school being inconveniently located for Nico’s career. That had caused some arguments, and one or two breakups, but in the end, Maki and Honoka found a place that was close to both of their colleges, and Nico lived a sort of permanently in transit existence between Hanayo and Rin, Nozomi, and Kotori’s apartments, paying rent weekly as she followed whatever jobs she could get. Sometimes she stayed at Maki and Honoka’s place, which was always a little awkward, since the walls were, um, a little thin.</p><p class="western">But despite their constant arguments and breakups, they always seemed to end up back together, and when they weren’t sniping at each other or yelling at each other, they seemed genuinely happy. So Honoka had tried to be happy for them, and buried her own feelings. It was too painful to get her hopes up over and over only to have them be crushed.</p><p class="western">But this time… it was starting to look like it might actually take.</p><p class="western">After three weeks, she finally made her move.</p>
<hr/><p class="western">“Hey Maki?”</p><p class="western">Maki looked up from her textbook, raising an eyebrow and peering at Honoka over her glasses. She’d started wearing reading glasses in the last year, and honestly, Honoka thought they were really, really cute. Nico had called them “super goofy” and joked that they were appropriate for someone as nerdy as Maki. Honoka couldn’t remember if they’d broken up over that one, but they’d definitely had a fight about it.</p><p class="western">“Um… how’s Nico?”</p><p class="western">“I have no idea,” Maki said, turning back to her book. “Ask Nozomi. I haven’t spoken to Nico in weeks.”</p><p class="western">“So… are you really not getting back together this time?” Honoka said hopefully.</p><p class="western">“Really.” Maki sighed and closed her book. “...It’s not that the fight was that bad or anything. I’m not really mad anymore or anything, it’s just…”</p><p class="western">She lowered her glasses enough to rub the bridge of her nose. “I’m so tired of this, Honoka. I… can even admit it’s not entirely Nico’s fault. It’s <em>mostly</em> her fault, but... I don’t like how I am with her, either. I’m sick of being angry all the time.”</p><p class="western">“Then… maybe you should date someone you don’t get as angry at, then!” Honoka said.</p><p class="western">Maki smiled and chuckled a little. “That’s probably a good idea.”</p><p class="western">“Like, you know, someone who, even if they screw up and like, accidentally shut down your computer before you save a paper, you only yell at them a little!” Honoka suggested. “Or someone who forgets to buy the milk sometimes, but as long as they apologize and run out to get some you don’t get upset!”</p><p class="western">Maki blinked in confusion. “What?”</p><p class="western">“Um,” Honoka said. “Someone like, you know.” She gulped. “Me?”</p><p class="western">Maki blinked again, staring blankly at Honoka. “...What?” she said again, after a short pause.</p><p class="western">“I’vehadacrushonyouforeverbutyoukeptgoingoutwithNicosoIthoughtI’djustgiveupbutyoureallyseemlikeyou’rebrokenupforrealthistimesoIthoughtmaybe-”</p><p class="western">“Slow down!” Maki said.</p><p class="western">“I’ve had a crush on you forever, please go out with me!” Honoka said, grabbing Maki’s hand and clasping it between hers, staring pleadingly at Maki.</p><p class="western">“You-” Maki flushed red. “Really?”</p><p class="western">“Really!” Honoka said. “You’re super pretty and smart and cool and I want to kiss you like, a lot, all the time.”</p><p class="western">“You do?” Maki asked.</p><p class="western">“Yeah,” Honoka said. “...Can I?”</p><p class="western">Maki turned even redder, and looked away from Honoka.</p><p class="western">But after a short pause, she nodded.</p><p class="western">In the end, Maki and Nico never did get back together.</p>
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